Former addict helps young people avoid life of crime
A recovering addict from Bristol has opened up about being ‘trapped in the cycle of crime’. Paul had a criminal record by the time he was 15 and spent years of his life in prison after becoming involved with county lines gangs but now spends his time helping young people fall into the same fate.
“My first offence was GBH,” Paul said. “I spent 22 years in and out of prison for crimes such as robbery, street robbery, possession of knives, possession of guns, kidnap – some really serious crimes I committed and, obviously I upset a lot of people whilst doing that.”
In a video produced by Avon and Somerset Police, Paul spoke of feeling ‘trapped’, but that relying on support systems, from family members, police officers and youth workers, can help young people ‘escape’ a life of crime. “For many years, I never saw a way out,” he said. “I just thought I was trapped in – you know, they call it a cycle and lots of people, and we’re not just talking about addiction, we’re talking about the cycle of crime. So you go into prison, you go out, you go back to the same people.”
“Everyone’s bigging you up because now you’re a gangster, you’ve been to jail a couple of times,” Paul explained. “What people don’t actually realise – the effect, the ripples that we create in society are just traumatic for so many people and many victims of crime don’t get over the trauma of what happened to them.
“I know me, personally, I put many people through some horrendous things and that’s why I hope, by coming and doing things like this and trying to promote that positive message that you can really turn your life around, you don’t have to be in that cycle. The people we think are looking out for us, because you’re earning a few pounds and they’re sorting you out with the nice trainers and the nice clothes – they don’t care about you.
“When you’re sat in jail, those people are gonna forget you so quick and they’re gonna move on to the next person.” Paul has now turned his life around and now works with young people through Bristol Rovers Community Trust to warn them of the dangers of county lines gangs and show them escape is possible.
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“I see these kids now – they come and I speak to them and I talk to them through social media, on my platforms and stuff, and I try to explain to them that they’re about to enter a life that they don’t understand is gonna lead them down such a dark path.”
“They can change, they can escape from it. This whole idea that once you’re in a county lines gang, or you’re in a gang, that it’s gonna, that’s you – that’s not the case. You can get out of it.
“There are platforms but you need the support. It’s really about family support, it’s about support from the police, about support from the youth services and everyone coming together and actually dealing with this crisis that’s going on at the moment.”
References
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